Would You Drink for Two?

No raw fish, no unpasteurized cheese, no deli meat, no hair dye -- and no wine, for sure. Those are just a few of the so-called "rules" pregnant women are subject to for nine months, and some moms-to-be are starting to rebel.

Are expectant mothers ditching the playbook, as written by ACOG? Probably not altogether, but the New York Post does report that more pregnant women are raising the glass -- without a side helping of guilt.

According to that newspaper, a study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology reveals that babies whose mothers drank one or two alcoholic beverages during their pregnancies had no additional risk of cognitive defects than those whose moms abstained.

Drinking While PregnantFull Segment: Drinking during pregnancy is on the rise, but recent studies differ on whether this is harmful to the baby. Is it time to drop the stigma or is it well-deserved?

Is The Occasional Drink While Pregnant OK?Drinking during pregnancy is on the rise, but recent studies differ on whether this is harmful to the baby. Is it time to drop the stigma or is it well-deserved? Elma Placeres Dieppa, Kelly McMenamin, Nancy Day and Marcelle Peck join the conversation.

ReaderComments (Page 1 of 4)

American society expects too much from it’s pregnant women. Not only do they have to lay off certain food and drink, and stop smoking, and reduce their intake of crystal meth, but they’re also supposed to do exercises, take vitamins, learn to breath, continue to have sex, attach headphones to their stomachs so their babies can listen to music, and engage in heated political debate about breast-feeding.

What happened to the good old days when a pregnant woman could just sit around all day and consume Cheetos®? That’s pretty much what my wife did, and my daughter turned out fine, if you ignore the slight orange tint in her pigment. (more at laughs4dads.com)

just do a little reading on the causes of FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) and you will find out that no amount of alcohol is safe for the fetus....when mom drinks, fetus drinks.............but there is plenty of information out there, so women claiming its ok to drink while pregnant just didnt do the research or dont care

Drinkings FINE! We NEED more fetal alcohol syndrome kids, like we need one more golf course, or a hole in the head. And after you take that drink, don't forget to name your kid like you're naming your pet gerbil.

Whatever! If you need wine that badly that you'd put your baby at risk, you have some serious problems and you probably shouldn't be having babies- you obviously have more important priorities. I was told by my doctor, ZERO alcohol. Period. Maybe some of the other "so-called rules" might be a bit excessive, but not the alcohol. It isn't worth it and I'm sorry, it's my own opinion, but you're incredibly selfish. Drink water, dumb@$$ !!!!

yes these people really do not under stand what a drink can do to an unborn baby and i would stop using the doctor if he or she said i could drink during pregnancy please look up some sites and see what alcohol does to these beautiful babies and than i think you will agree when you are pregent think before you drink!!!!!! GOD BLESS

What? How horrible is this idea! I know a woman who drank "a little" during all three of her pregnancies. ALL of her children have learning disabilities! Neither her or her husband seem to make the connection! DON'T HAVE KIDS IF YOU CAN"T STOP DRINKING FOR 9 MONTHS! End of story.

Anything in EXCESS is bad for you! Red meat, eggs, even milk! Moderation is the key here! Don't bad mouth some mothers for imbibing a glass of wine once ever three months! Bad mouth the mothers who habitually smoke pot to ease their morning sickness or those who still snort cocaine, or maybe the ones who gain so much weight the put their baby at risk for diabetes and obesity later in life! Grow up and do your own thing!

mckenzie, i agree with you on the part of drinking while pregnant, but to bring mentally challenged, or gay people in to this is just down right dirty. when a child is born they didnt ask to come into this world, nor do they have a choice as to weather they will be mentally challenged or gay. i am a very proud daughter of a lesbian mom, and she did not choose to be a lesbian, she was born that way, she always knew she was attracted to women, but in her day it was not accepted at all, so she fought it and hid her true feelings until the middle 80's. then she was terrified that i would hate her or not want to live with her. i told her that she was my mother and no matter what i would always love her and never turn my back on her for any reason. all i have ever wanted for her was to finally be happy and live her life the way she has always wanted to. people really need to grow up and quit being so self absorbed and hipicritical. in MY opinion, everyone has the right to equal rights, reguardless of sex,race,religion,or sexual orintation. thank you, a very proud straight daughter of a lesbian mom. I SUPPORT GAY RIGHTS

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is real, folks. I adopted my son at birth- MANY issues have been life-long including social and learning problems, seizures, shaky hands, growth delays, and now that he is a young adult we are working diligently to find the right employment/vocation and hopefully he can begin living independently. Birthmom was very young, probably did not realize she was pregnant, but the effects of drinking will always be evident. My beautiful son will ALWAYS need help. I am commited to parenting my son, with being there every day, but what happens after I am gone?? One change in this birthmom's decisions, of NOT drinking, would have allowed my son the opportunity to live a different life.

This article is not about FAS and is in no way implying that daily drinking is okay. They are simply saying that a glass of wine ON OCCASSION while pregnant is not the serious threat it has been made out to be in some medical circles.

People in Europe are not warned to death of such things because they are not the sue-happy idiots that Americans are. The only reason there was ever a zero tolerance guideline is to protect medical professionals from litigation!

So to all you critical people out there who probably also breast fed your kids through the point when they could unbutton your blouse and help themselves, LIGHTEN UP!

As an adoptive mother raising a child with fetal alcohol syndrome, I just want to say how utterly selfish it is to drink during pregnancy. My child, and many others, have permanent brain damage from alcohol. If you cannot go without a drink while pregnant, you have no business having a child. NO AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL IS SAFE!! I think that women that endanger their child while pregnant should be prosecuted. My child is disabled for life due to a "few drinks now and then"

It is a sin that this woman is making babies. I found out I was pregnant right after my birthday and I had sever guilt throughout my entire pregnancy because I had drank on my birthday. To drink alcohol knowing you're pregnant is sickening to me. Why don't you just add a smoke too and a little raw fish and make it a trifecta of horrible parenting.

I wouldn't worry about drinking; the bigger problem for your brat is that you have no idea how to spell or form sentences. How did you ever get through grammar school? Most dumb kids probably end up that way because their moms were stupid idiots like you, peasant.

Just to let you know, they just did a study and it showed that those who drink moderatly have a lower mortality rate than those who drink heavy and those who do not drink at all. The most surprising thing that they found is that the mortality rate for non-drinkers was higher than heavy drinkers over that same 20 year span of the study. So to say that nobody ever died from not drinking is actually not true. And besides people die everyday and many of those people don't drink at all. I don't agree with drinking while preggers but I thought I would share that study with you.

When my mother was young and pregnant, she smoked, and drank. She had 4 kids, and were all retired today with good incomes. Back in the day, woman while pregnant still did there thing. I swear the media, and doctor's have everybody bullcraped!

"When my mother was young and pregnant, she smoked, and drank. She had 4 kids, and were all retired today with good incomes. Back in the day, woman while pregnant still did there thing. I swear the media, and doctor's have everybody bullcraped!"

Mike: you just proved our point of how bad the affects of drinking while pregnant can be. You don't even know how to write, spell, or speak correctly. "we are" not "were", "women" is more than one woman, "their thing" not "there thing", "doctors" not "doctor's" (he doesn't own anything here), "bullcraped" should be "bullcrapped", but it is not even an English word. DRINKING WHILE PREGNANT CAUSES STUPIDITY AND OBVIOUSL LEARNING DISABILITIES IN CHILDREN!! LAY OFF THE ALCOHOL!!

33 years ago, when I had my first pregnancy, my OB told me it was okay to have a glass or two of wine occasionally. He was Chief of Obstetrics at our hospital, so I never gave it a second thought. Then years later they said no drinking at all. Looking back a generation or two ago at all the women who drank, and some smoked and their babies turned out fine. Yes, it's better to avoid the things we now know are not the best for a growing fetus, but a cocktail, glass of wine, cup of coffee once in awhile is not going to turn your baby into an unhealthy newborn. In fact, the baby boomers who were fetuses before all these "no-nos" were put in place, seem to have been the healthiest generation.